Cell Theory Pre-Unit Activity

IntroductionIf someone were to tell you that people once believed that maggots came from rotting meat or that rats came from damp roofs, you would quickly write the person off as being very weird. However, this IS what many people thought until about 250 years ago. These beliefs were based upon an idea called "spontaneous generation." Why did people accept this absurd idea? How was this idea finally put to rest? It's up to you to find out!

During this activity, you will learn about the scientists who helped to pave the way to the development of the Cell Theory and to the rejection of spontaneous generation.

The TaskYou will use internet resources to create a timeline that begins with the invention of the compound microscope to the experiment conducted by Louis Pasteur that finally dispelled the outdated idea of spontaneous generation. After completing your timeline, you should summarize the three parts of the cell theory in your own words.

The ProcessPART A - RESEARCH The list of scientists that you should highlight in your quest are as follows:1) Zacharias Jansen 2) Anton van Leeuwenhoek 3) Robert Hooke 4) Matthias Schleiden 5) Theodor Schwann 6) Rudolf Virchow 7) Louis Pasteur

As you conduct research with regards to these scientists, ask yourself the following questions: * How did this scientist contribute to the cell theory? (Keep in mind that many of these guys did all sorts of cool and disgusting things. Make sure the information that you provide here is related to the cell theory.) * When did this scientist make his contribution to the cell theory? * How did this scientist's invention, idea, or experiment help lead to the rejection of spontaneous generation?

PART B - YOUR TIMELINE Now that you've gathered all of the information, it's time to put it into a timeline format. 1) Mr. Kelly will give you a piece of butcher paper.2) Measure the length of the paper in cm.3) Count the total number of years on your timeline.4) Divide the length of the paper by the number of years. This answer is the scale of years per cm.5) Begin by creating your title on the very top of your paper. 6) Now you may create the actual timeline. How you decide to present the information is up to you however the information should be clear and concise. Look at other timelines on the internet, in your textbook, or examples provided by your teacher. 7) Once you have added all of the main events, end your timeline by summarizing the cell theory in your own words.